Speechless
by ShayL
Summary: Once he finished with the theme, he just stopped speaking. He also stopped eating. Nightmares were reoccurring. Drugs may even involved. Can the gang help bring Ponyboy back or is all hope lost? Set in Sodapop's POV
1. Realization

Well, actually, I need to know what you guys think of this so far. I would like to continue with this, but not if it's unsatisfactory. Please give me your opinions of whether I should continue, and if you spot any mistakes, please note that too. Thank you very much!

* * *

Never did I think of such a thing happening to my baby brother.

Never did I think of how much everything had affected him.

I should have realized this.

I am his older brother.

I should be protecting him.

Keeping him safe.

But I couldn't.

He had to make it through himself.

I should have at least realized the situation when it first occurred.

But I didn't even do that.

It all started just a week after those fateful incidents with Johnny and Dally.

****

Wednesday- 9:47 PM

I walked into our room, and found him at his desk, scribbling away.

"What's up, Pony?"

"Hmm."

Odd... usually he'd make more of a response. I walked over, bending over the desk slightly.

"Whatcha writing?"

"Homework."

"For...?"

Finally, he placed the pencil down and gave me a look... a look. Well, excuse me for being curious.

"I'm writing a theme for English class. It's due on Friday and I still have a lot more to write. So if you don't mind... try not to bother me unless it's important."

"Like... if the house is on fire?"

"Well... yeah. I mean, I gotta protect the theme... it's the deciding point of my semester grade."

"Huh?" Hey, I don't go to school anymore, so don't expect me to understand all that mumble jumble.

"What I get on this will decide whether my grade will go up or not."

"Golly, is your grade bad?" Nah, this is Pony I'm talking about, how can it be bad? I mean, he's the brain of the group.

"Umm..." Whoa... he's shifting his eyes and clenching his jeans... no way...

"Ponyboy!"

"Don't tell Darry! Please! I don't need him yelling at me about it."

"Well..." Oh gheez, he's giving the sad look... the things I do for my baby brother. "... all right. But ya better bring it up, cause I don't need you guys fighting anymore."

"Thanks Soda. But stop acting like Darry with my grades cause you're scaring me."

"Hey, hey! I just want ya to do good in school so we can ship you off to college, you dig?"

"Yeah, I dig ya." And with that... he went back to writing... and stopped... and turned back around. "Tell the others not to bother me, 'kay?"

"Will do." Leaning back on the bed, I shifted into my spot. "Whatcha writing about anyways?"

"You want to read it when I'm done?"

"Is it long?"

"Kind of."

"Aww, Pony, you know I don't read much. Why don't you read it to me instead? I swear I'll listen to every word."

When he didn't respond, I sat up. "Pony? You hear me?"

"Uhh, right. What?"

"Gheez, I said that you can read it to me instead."

He just sort of stared at me like I just suddenly called him trash or something. What's the deal here? "Hey, Pony, don't get all upset. I mean, I'll read it if ya want me to, it's just that I'm a slow reader, ya know?"

He sighed, looking a little relieved. "Heh, yeah, I know, but I think you might like this."

"Oh yeah?" I leaned back down, getting comfy. "Is it about me?"

"Some of it."

"Hmm? Pony, are you writing about us or something? Like, the gang?"

"The theme is suppose to be about our personal experiences and our feelings on the said topic."

I wonder... "Like... what?"

"You'll see when you read it."

"You're not reading it to me?"

Looking over, I noticed he slightly stiffened. "W-well... it's something that you should read on your own. It wouldn't be right if I read it to you."

I didn't say anything for a moment, letting it sink in. "All right... if you say so."

"Right."

And he didn't say anything else that evening... or the next day... or the day after that... I never realized that this would be the last conversation I would have with Ponyboy.


	2. Mock Fight

Ahh, thank you very much for all the reviews. I'm happy to see this went over well, heh. Please enjoy the second chapter. Again, if anything seems odd or anything, please tell me. Thanks!

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****

Wednesday (same night)- 10:14 PM

Sighing, I sat up from the bed. Ponyboy, of course, was scribbling like crazy at the desk. Rubbing the back of my head, I stood up and stretched my arms.

"Hey Pony, better get ready for bed soon."

He didn't say anything, but I think I heard a grunt or something. Shrugging, I went out of our room and stepped into the living room.

"What's he up to now?"

Darry, sitting in the armchair with a newspaper folded in his lap, asked, looking over once I walked in.

"Doing his homework like the good little boy he is." I replied, waving my hand to the side carelessly.

He chuckled, then looked towards the floor. I saw that good ol' Two-Bit was still hanging around.

He slowly turned his gaze from the television set and stared back at us. "What?"

Darry tipped his head at him. "You planning on leaving anytime soon? It's late."

"Aww, don't talk like that to me. I ain't one you Curtis's." Sighing, he stood up, making a big deal of brushing off his pants. "But if ya want me to leave so bad, I guess I'll go."

Laughing, I tackled him, wringing an arm around his neck. "Yeah, get outta here, ya grease."

He mockingly puffed his chest, patting it. "You talkin' to me? Huh?" Suddenly, he ducked and grabbed me 'round the legs, causing me to fall back onto the couch.

Of course, not one to let such an assault go without revenge, I pulled him down with me, twisting over so I ended up sitting on him.

Darry, obviously annoyed, threw his newspaper at my head. "Cut it out, you're disturbing other people in this house."

"Yeah man, I can't breathe. Maybe about time you went a diet or something?" I barely heard Two-Bit mumble, with his face shoved into the cushion and all.

I jokingly gasped, acting as if he just slapped me. "Oh, so now I'm fat, huh!" I grabbed his head and pressed it further into the cushion, enjoying the sound of his struggle.

Apparently, Darry thought I was killing him (probably was, but you know I wouldn't do such a thing on purpose), grabbed me 'round the waist and hoisted me in the air. Then stepping back, he let go, allowing me to fall onto the floor HARD.

"Oww! You gotta be so rough there, Superman?" I complained, rubbing my bottom.

Two-Bit sat up, gasping for breath. "I'm still alive. Praise the Lord!"

"Aww, can it and get out." Darry said, picking up the newspaper and swatting at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know when I'm not wanted." Two-Bit replied, grinning. "I'll catch y'all tomorrow." He made a mocking gun shot with his fingers, and disappeared out the door.

"And you, grab Pony, clean up and get in bed." Darry told me, smacking me in the head with the paper once more, before dropping it on the armchair. He walked into his own room and shut the door.

"Yeah, yeah." I stood up, trying to brush back my now-messy hair. "Gheez, everyone's against me." Turning around, I headed into the bedroom and came across an amusing site.

Poor Pony fell asleep at his desk, with his pencil still standing in one hand, and the other arm resting across the top of his head. Papers were scattered all over the desk. I really don't know how he keeps anything in order.

Walking over, I poked him in the side. "C'mon Pony, time for bed."

He mumbled something while pushing himself away from the desk and stumbled into bed as if he hasn't slept in weeks.

"Hey, c'mon Pony, you still gotta brush your teeth." I poked him again, but no response. "Pony? You okay, honey?"

He still didn't say anything, but merely shifted over onto his side.

"All right, you win. Don't tell Darry that we skipped clean up though." Taking off my shoes and shirt, I climbed into bed with Pony.

Light snores were all I received back. Chuckling, I pulled the blanket over the both of us. Throwing an arm across his chest, I pulled him into a comfy snuggle. Then darkness came and dream world arrived.


	3. Running Late

Thank you, thank you for the reviews! I hope I'm getting better at this. And yes, I know the chapters are kind of short but we're just getting started here, heh. They'll get longer later on, I promise.

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It was dark and silent. 

Nothing was in site.

I kept moving forward.

In hope of finding the light.

I heard a cry.

I started running.

But never getting closer.

Faster, faster, faster.

Find the one in pain.

Save them.

Help them.

Suddenly the ground collapses.

I'm falling.

I'm sorry.

I didn't save you.

****

Thursday (next day) morning- 7:10 AM

"WAKE UP!"

Suddenly the bed was jolted with weight.

Sitting up and banging my head against something hard, I, along with someone else, yelped. Clutching my forehead, I opened my head and saw my buddy Steve sitting in front of me, in a similar position.

"Gheez Soda! Ya tryin' to smash my head or what?" He complained, rubbing the red spot.

"Well if ya didn't scare me and Pony so bad, maybe I wouldn't have smashed into ya." I said, looking at the said latter.

Pony, now sitting up, was rubbing his eyes and glaring at Two-Bit, whom was grinning gleefully for some reason.

"I tickled him." Two-Bit said, laughing and ducking Pony's swing. Jumping up, he walked backwards out the door. "Better get a move on or Darry'll have your hide, haha!"

Sighing, I pushed Steve off the bed, who fell on the floor with a grunt. "Come on Pony, time for school."

Steve got up and tackled me once Pony was out of the way. "Take that!"

"Gah!" Landing on the bed, I kicked him in the side but he didn't budge. "Come on, I gotta get dressed and stuff."

"Yeah, yeah, you're gonna get it one of these days." He replied, getting up and pulling me along.

"Heh, if you can beat me!" Ducking his punch, I ran out the door. The bathroom door was shut and Darry was cooking, so Pony was obviously in there.

"Hey, you better get a move on or else you'll be late." Darry said, handing me a plate of eggs and a slice of chocolate sake.

"I know, I know, I just gotta go but can't for obvious reasons." I responded, shoveling down the food as if it was my last. I can't help it, it's just how I eat. Don't we all have weird habits? I mean, Pony does...

Speak of the devil, Pony stepped out, dressed and ready. How does he do that so fast? Well, wasting no time, I placed down the now-empty plate and ran to the toilet, shutting the door behind me.

Ahh...

When I finished, I stepped back out and ran into the bedroom. "Darry! Where's my shirt?"

"In the closet! I ironed!"

Pulling on a pair of dark denim pants, I grabbed the shirt out of his closet and ran back out. Looking around, I rubbed the back of my head. "Where's everyone?"

"School, remember?. And you better move it too or else I'm leaving you behind to walk." Darry said, walking out the door, wrapping his tool belt around his waist.

I grab my shoes, pulling them on while hearing Darry start up. Well, I didn't really get to talk to Ponyboy, but I'll see him after work.

I'm late!

* * *

The beginning section was a dream sequence. I think you can figure out what the deal is. 


	4. Overtime

Well, most of you have no need to worry since I did the change pretty soon after the first posting, but just a couple quick notes.

Please remember that this fanfic, as stated in the summary, is all in SODAPOP'S POV! Nobody else! It also does NOT change POVs either. Remember that!

I made a slight mistake and forgot that Steve also attends to school. (smacks self) So, Steve is actually at school and Soda received a ride from Darry for those who missed that change. Terribly sorry!

Another note. Yes, these chapters aren't very 'disturbing' as some of you may have been expecting, but this is just the beginning. It is going to be on a lighter note and slightly humorous for now, but the real trauma will start soon enough. Please bear with me and I apologize if this bothers you.

A fourth note (sweatdrops). Also, the only character that we got into the head of in the novel is Ponyboy. So if you think Soda or anyone else is OOC, please tell me. I'm just trying to make Soda as the "happy-go-lucky and grinning" guy he is, as stated on page 2 of the novel. It also states "Soda'll never grow up at all.", so I'm thinking him as a bit childish. But please don't hesitate to tell me your opinions... or ask questions!

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****

Thursday afternoon- 3:39 PM

Well... aside from the group of giggling girls off to the side whom SHOULD be in school from their looks and a fat man trying to explain to me what the weird noise he hears sounds like while driving... it was a pretty slow day.

"It's like a... ERRRR... higher though."

"All right... and you hear this noise... when?"

"While making turns and stuff."

"Sir, do you drive fast?"

"Well... is going 60 or 65 fast?"

Sighing, I brushed my hair back and gave him a "Are you for real?" look.

"Well, yes sir, most people would consider that to be a pretty fast speed. And I also think I know what's causing that strange noise."

"Oh? Do tell."

"It's the squeal of the tires while making turns because you go at such a high speed and don't have the time to slow down immediately to make a smooth maneuver. My suggestion is to slow down JUST a tad before you make a turn."

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is my attempt at sounding really intelligent... or really obvious. Take your pick.

While the fat man was rubbing his chin in thought, I noticed Steve was walking over. That means school is done... which means Pony is heading home and I can talk to him soon!

"Steve!" I waved, walking over to him. "About time you got here, I was getting bored!"

"Doesn't seem like it." He replied, looking at my current customer.

"Oh, that was nothing." I waved my hand carelessly. "Why don't I leave him to you and I shall attend to the ladies?" Patting him on the shoulder, I gave him a wink to his glare. "Have fun!" I waved and ran off.

"Bastard!" He shouted, waving a fist at me, but I could see he was trying to hide his grin. That Steve... what a guy.

"Good afternoon ladies! How may I be of assistance?" I questioned innocently, once reaching them. I know these girls are just here to flirt, but there's nothing wrong with that. Believe me, I'm not idiot when it comes to people.

All right... I lied. Ponyboy is pretty hard to figure out anymore. I mean, I can tell when there's something wrong... but I can never figure out what.

****

Thursday evening- 7:52 PM

"And done!" I shouted, slamming the wrench down on the table. You see, I was helping Steve work on cars since there was nobody in the need of gas.

"Great." My buddy mumbled, rubbing his forehead with a cloth. "Now we can get the hell outta here."

"CURTIS! RANDLE!" Yikes, the boss is yelling... which is usually a bad sign.

"Yes sir?" We asked, facing the man.

"I'm afraid I can't let the two of you leave just yet. I have another car in the back that needs fixed by tomorrow morning."

Oh no! That means I might not get to talk to Ponyboy!

"Don't you boys worry though. It should only take about an hour or so to fix."

Well... maybe he'll still be up when I get home.

"Get to work!"

"Yes sir!"

****

Thursday night- 10:17 PM

An hour, my butt! That was two, not one!

"Steve!" I started whining, which I usually do when I'm tired. "I wanna go home!"

"Ya think I like being here?" He yelled back, obviously as tired as myself. "Well..." He took a couple deep breaths to calm down. "The good news is that we're finished."

"All right!"

"The bad news is that we have to wait until that ass comes back."

"Oh." The 'ass' he's referring to is the boss. As you can tell, Steve is not too fond of him. I wouldn't say that I am... but I try not to make it as obvious. I got a job to keep!

****

Late Thursday night- 11:21 PM

Stupid, stupid boss jerk! How dare he make us wait another hour after finishing our work to come back from wherever the hell he went! That's like...

Wait, I have to count. 1... 2...

Three hours! Of course, my version of our frustration is the 'edited' version compared to Steve's. The poor guy...

After waving good-bye to Steve, I ran home. I mean, as fast as I could. I know, I know. I'm not as nearly as fast as Ponyboy but I'm trying.

Walking in the house and collapsing onto the floor, I looked up only to find Darry glaring at me. Honestly, what's with everyone and glaring at me?

"Heh heh... I'm home, honey?" I tried, waving a bit.

"Welcome home darling... and where might you have been in the last three hours that you should HAVE been home?"

And so, here where I told him about the stupid boss jerk and how he made us work overtime and anything else that was important.

Luckily for me, Darry was in a good mood and let me off with a swat at the head. I'm so lucky to have an understanding brother. As for the other sibling...

He was lying in bed, already sleeping. Well... there's goes my chance to talk to him.

I took my shower and put on some pants, but just as I was climbing, I noticed something on the desk. Walking over, I saw that it was a huge stack of papers... I mean, really huge.

Looking at the cover, it said "My Theme" and then at the bottom, "By Ponyboy Curtis." So this is his theme he was talking about...

Does he honestly expect me to read all one hundred plus (I'm estimating here since I don't count that well either) pages of this?


	5. Conversation Topics

A thousand apologies to all of you loyal readers. Things have been rather hectic for the last few months and I just have been unable to update at all. Please refrain from throwing rotten food and rocks at me... at least not until I finish, lol.

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****

Friday morning- 7:30 AM

I just have a feeling that it's gonna be another lousy day.

"Hey little buddy, what's up? You seem kind of quiet. You sick or something?"

Here I am, sitting in the passenger seat of Darry's truck, on my way to work. Of course, I was rushed into getting ready once again and...

"Nah. I'm just a little upset. I mean, I haven't been able to talk to Pony for like... ever."

... I have, once again, missed my chance to talk to that younger brother of mine.

"You haven't talked to him? I can't really say I've got the chance to sit and chat with him either because of work, but I figured you two would've been able to talk when going to bed."

"Ahh well, Pony's either sleeping or doing that paper, report, essay, whatever it is, and I'm not allowed to bother him if he's working on it. I mean, I just kind of worried. Like, it's almost like Pony's... ya know, floating away or something."

Gah, I can't use words well.

"You think we're losing him?"

See what I mean? Nobody gets what I'm saying... Pony usually does though...

"No, not losing him. I mean, maybe it's just me or something, but he doesn't seem to talk much anymore. I know he's always been kinda quiet and stuff, but... it just seems different this time."

"Well, we had a busy week, you know. I'm sure you'll get a better chance to talk to him now that the weekend is coming."

"True. I'll try again when I get home."

Hopefully that stupid boss jerk doesn't get in the way again... grr...

****

Friday afternoon- 1:17 PM

Ho hum. Another drag of a day. I've been trying to think of things that I could talk to Pony about. I'm rather embarrassed to say that my list is pretty short.

One. His essay thingie... theme! That's right, it was called a 'theme.' I could ask how that went, if he got it done, when he'll get it back, blah, blah.

Two. Hang out this weekend. We could go to the movie house (even though I can't sit still in those things), The Dingo, Jay's (though I think too many fights happen at these places, and I wouldn't want Pony to get caught in them), play football in the lot (we just need Darry and Pony to be on the same team, but Darry's working so much anymore...) and whatever else comes to mind.

Three. How he's doing in school. Ya know, if he's getting along with other people, if guys are picking on him, grades, stuff like that.

And that's about it. Sad, huh? What kind of brother am I that I can't even come up with decent conversation topics?

Hmm... school should be done in about an hour. So Steve will come by, then we'll work some more, then I can go home and talk to Pony.

I'm still bored though.

****

Friday afternoon- 4:32 PM

Well, I'm not very bored now. Friday's and Saturday's are always busy later in the day. I dunno why though.

"Soda! Can you pump some gas for me please!"

Ahh, a girl in need calls for my help.

"Certainly. I'd be more than happy to help." I said back, giving her a big smile. Heh, she's smiling back.

I'm so good at this.

****

Friday evening- 8:03 PM

Woo hoo! We're done!

"Woo ho! We're done!" Well, I have to let Steve know how I feel. I mean, it wouldn't be very nice if I kept all my thoughts to myself.

"All right." He looked around carefully for the stupid boss jerk. "Let's ditch this place."

We started running and didn't stop until the DX was finally out of site.

"We're home free!" I cheered, now running full speed.

"Whoa man, slow down! What's with the rush!" Ahh, Steve's always yelling at me, but he don't mean it all the time. It's just his way of talking.

"I gotta get home before Pony falls asleep."

He gave me a weird look. What?

"Is something bad gonna happen if he falls asleep before you make it home? Like, he'll hog the bed or something?"

Oh, I see. Steve doesn't understand the importance of the situation. Ha ha, listen to my intelligent thoughts!

"Nah, I just haven't been able to talk to him all week, ya know? I just wanna say something to him before he passes out again."

And yes, we're still running.

"Well, gheez. Ya got the weekend to be with him! Now can we please slow down?"

I stopped. He tried to stop, but ended up tripping and almost landing on his face. He was mumbling something but I didn't bother to listen because I knew he was cursing.

Sighing, I plopped down on the curb and leaned back. Steve looked at me strangely, shifting next to me.

"Now what's the deal? You were in a rush and now you don't want to go?"

"Do you think... Pony could be mad at me?"

This actually just came to me now. Is it possible that Pony could be upset with me because I've been getting home late, and that we don't have much time to talk anymore? Could he be thinking what I'm thinking, and just taking it the wrong way?

I worry about these things, you know.

Steve was playing with his curls, tugging on them. "I dunno man, he's your brother, not mine." Then I could've sworn I heard him mumble something like 'thank god'... but I could be wrong.

I didn't say anything. While I do like to express my feelings, I don't like to sound all emotional and stuff. I got a rep to keep, ya know.

Sighing, he stood up. "Look, if you're that worried about it, then go home and talk to him. If he's sleeping, wake him up and force him to talk to you. Tie him to a chair and hold a light in his face for all I care. Just do something so I don't have to hear you whine about this all the time."

Hey now... that was rather mean.

Steve looked at me, as if I just slapped him. "I mean... oh, you know I don't mean it like that. You're just that kind of guy who gets all hung up on something and keeps at it until it fixed or whatever, ya dig?"

Steve is such a good friend.

"Yeah, I dig. Sorry about that." I patted him on the shoulder, grinning.

He shrugged, grinning back. "Nah, it's you. I'd worry if you didn't say anything. Now get out here and go home before I drag ya there." He gave me a slight push from the back, forcing me to walk.

"All right, see ya tomorrow!" I waved, turning back forward to start jogging.. then running until I made it through the front door.

Looking at the clock, I saw that it was about 8:45. Gheez, didn't think the walk took that long... oh well.

"Hey, welcome home. You're actually only an hour late this time. Did something happen?" Darry said, smirking at me. Man, everyone's always picking on me.

"Hmph, for your information, I came to talk to Pony." I crossed my arms, making my best 'back off' look.

He just laughed though. How mean.

"Easy there, cowboy. Pony's in the room. Can't say that he really said anything today though."

Hmm... when Darry worries, then it's usually not that big of a deal. But if he's all freaking out and stuff, then I'd be worried.

I waved, walking down the hall. Our door was closed. Should I or shouldn't I?

Grabbing the handle, I turned it and pushed the door open slowly.

Crap, I knew it.

Does this kid do anything else but sleep!

* * *

Poor Soda, he fails once again. But the weekend is finally here for him, so we'll see if he has better luck next time.

I'm not sure if I characterized Steve that well. I wanted to make it seem obvious (to us at least... can't say much for Soda though, lol) that he doesn't like Pony but because he is Soda's friend, he's being... "nice" about it. Is that right? Or am I going all wrong with this?

Ahh, I really you're enjoying this. Please don't hesitate to point out any mistakes and whatnot. I just want to hear your opinions!


	6. Rain

Haha, so sorry about the delay. Though it's probably obvious now, updates won't be coming very quickly. For a number of reasons at that. But please enjoy this chapter all the same.

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_**Saturday morning- 7:23 AM**_

Something was pushing at my side.

"C'mon Soda, you gotta go to work."

Darn it! Can't whoever's bothering me see that I don't wanna get up!

"Soda!"

Cracking one eye slightly open, I could see Darry hovering over me like a vulture or something. That guy can get pretty scary.

"I don't wanna." I mumbled, trying to snuggle next to Ponyboy again.

"Damn it Soda, ya want me wake the other brother up?"

Gah, he knows my weakness! My love for Ponyboy! How can this be?

"Blah, whatever." Sitting up and rubbing my eyes, I gave a look to the elder one. "You're just a big meanie, using Ponyboy like that."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm really an evil dude that's planning to take over the world. Apparently my secret cover was too obvious. Now I will use my brainwashing techniques..." Pointing one finger at my forehead, he closed his eyes, "I command you to get ready for work."

Haha, Darry is an odd one alright.

"Yes master." I replied in a blank voice, standing up slowly. "As you wish, master."

Then that's when I tripped.

"GAH!"

And fell.

"OW!"

And annoyed Darry.

"Soda!"

And did the unforgivable.

"Nnnn..." A auburn head lifted up, blinking at his surroundings. Shifting towards me and Darry, he stared... said nothing... then placed his head back down.

Nothing was heard for a brief moment until quiet snores occurred.

Sighing, I stood up carefully, watching my step, and tiptoed out of the bedroom with Darry right behind me. Carefully closing the door with a resolute click, Darry gave me another look.

"Look at what ya almost did."

Huh! Was is it my fault! I mean, sure, I tripped and fell, yelling about it, but that doesn't mean it has to be all my fault. I see how it is, blaming the middle child because the youngest is too innocent and the oldest is too much of a 'God' to be blamed for anything! Yeah, I see what everyone thinks now. Don't think ya can deceive me any longer!

Of course, this was just random thoughts that I would forget in about... two minutes. Sticking my tongue at him, I turned, chin up in air and stalked into the bathroom.

I knew he was shaking his head though. I think Darry can be too predictable as well.

_**Friday morning- 11:03 AM**_

Surprisingly, there hasn't been much business.

Could be the major rainstorm happening outside.

Or maybe nobody feels like getting up today?

Of course, that thought made me think of Ponyboy... I've come to the realization that there are a lot of things that make me think of Ponyboy, like... books, cars, school, chocolate... the sun... the rain... the weather in general... and other stuff that I really don't feel like listing.

Steve was next to me, tapping his foot in annoyance. He also kept shifting around on his stool... which made me think how Ponyboy never shifts around when he sits.

Man... I really need something to do right now.

"Steve..."

He didn't respond right away. That wall must be really interesting for him to stare at it with such intensity.

"Steve." I tried again, speaking a little louder.

Ahh, this is getting annoying. Blinking, I looked at my right, on the countertop... and smiled.

There it goes flying... and...

"GAH! WHAT THE HELL?" My buddy yelled, falling off his stool and landing on his bottom. Flapping around, he finally pushed himself back up, staring at me with his mouth hanging open.

It was getting hard to breathe and my side was starting to hurt... but I couldn't stop.

"Quit laughing! It's not funny." He growled, glaring at me. "What the hell did ya throw at me anyways?" He looked around, his face all scrunched up as if he was confused or something.

I chuckled, coughing a bit to calm down. "My water bottle."

"Jerk."

"You love me."

"Go die somewhere."

I laughed again, holding out my hand. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. Forgive me?"

He snorted, grasping my hand. "Yeah, yeah." Pulling himself up, Steve rubbed his backside. "But gheez, that hurt."

"You wouldn't listen to me." I replied, letting go to lean against the counter. Stretching my arms up, I placed them behind my head to relax. "I'm bored."

"And I'm Steve. Well, what the hell do ya expect me to do about it? Command the rain god to stop the storm and make everything well again? I mean, seriously Soda."

Steve is always so sarcastic. Whatever that means, but that's what Pony said he is...

Ponyboy...

"Steve, I haven't talked to Pony for like, ever."

He stared at me like I was crazy or something. Probably am... "So? Are ya mad at him or something?"

"No... I just never get the chance to talk to him. He's either sleeping or doing homework or something."

My buddy blinked, then scratched his head. "Well, gheez, again. What do ya expect me to do about it? Like I said, he's your brother, not mine, so ya should know what to do... ya dig?"

I bit my lip. Why do I feel a little ashamed? Like I did something wrong. "I... I guess so."

Sighing, he placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. "Soda, ya worry too much. Maybe the bra-I mean, kid's having a rough week or something, huh? You'll get yer chance, since there's no school tomorrow and that. I mean, god, all we've been talkin' about is ya brother!"

I blinked. "We have?"

"Yes! It's always 'do ya think Pony's mad at me' or 'I'm worried about Pony' and stuff like that. Relax! The damn kid is fine! He's not gonna like, die within the next day or anything."

For some reason, this really bothered me. I don't know why, but I just feel like Steve is showing some odd feelings towards Pony that I don't like. "Hey! Ponyboy is NOT some 'damn kid', okay? And with those damn Socs everywhere, I can't help but worry about him, considering what just happened in the last few weeks!"

We were both standing, face-to-face, me glaring and Steve shocked. Breathing heavily, I stepped back one, placing a hand on the countertop, lowering my face towards the floor. Through my hair pieces that fell forward, I noticed that he sat back on his stool, rather slowly.

Neither of us said anything, making the sound of rain seemingly louder in the back.

Clearing his throat, I noticed he swallowed, as if he was nervous or scared. I guess I kinda let it a little loose back there.

Closing his eyes, he bowed his head slightly. "Look... I wasn't trying to offend you or Ponyboy... it's just that... ya... you're being really... obsessive about him... or something. I can understand ya being worried about his well-being and all...," He lifted his head back up and his voice raised a little at this point on, "but just because ya haven't talked to him for a few days doesn't mean it's the end of the world or somethin'!"

I didn't know what to say... what to think. Obsessive? No, I'm not. I'm just being the caring, loving brother that I always was... maybe a little more protective this time, but it's exactly the same as before... right?

I stared at my friend, staring at him directly in the eyes. "Pony was super close to Johnny. They were like brothers. Always talkin' and stuff... hell, they even ran away together."

Steve frowned, his eyebrows scrunching together.

"Steve... what do ya think Pony was thinkin' when Johnny died in front of him? And when Dally was shot? What exactly was Pony thinking at those times?"

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And this is where I'm ending it! Oh my, a slight cliffhanger! And Soda's being all introspective with Ponyboy! Shocking, isn't it? 

Sorry, I'm being a dork. And yes, I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I'll try harder with the future chapters. Please review!


	7. Decision

Wow, thanks for all of the reviews guys! Man, y'all rock my socks! Reading every one makes me want to cry for joy because it makes me feel good that people like this. So thank you very, very much!

Apologies if I made Soda a little too childish. I must confess that it most likely resulted from my ridiculously OOC Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics. Any time there was moments where Soda had a 'dumb' moment (like, counting the hours or not knowing what 'sarcastic' meant), it was just to have dumb humor... yeah. I will try to make him a little more mature though, since from the looks of it, the fic is heading into a more dramatic point... I think. I'm sorry, I'm being an idiot again, but again, apologies for this mishap.

Please enjoy this next chapter.

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_**Friday morning- 11:36 AM**_

Steve was blinking rather oddly. "Uhh...?"

I scrunched my eyebrows together, looking to the side. "Steve... ya don't think that... Pony feels... ya know, responsible or somethin', do ya? About Johnny-cake and Dal?"

He wasn't saying anything. Even his face was blank. I can't tell what he's feeling or anything.

"...Steve?"

Sighing, he tugged at one of his curls. Is he nervous or something? "Soda... look, I honestly can't tell ya what goes on in that kid's head, okay? In all honestly, I don't really pay attention to the kid... hell, I don't even talk to him that much."

Steve's never talked like this before. It's a little... strange, seeing him act like this.

"So, if ya gonna ask someone about your brother... ask someone who actually bothers to talk to him... like Two-bit or Superman or somebody." He finished off, shrugging his shoulders like it was nothing.

Wow... this is bothering me like nothing else. I feel as if... if I don't get away or something, I might not be able to hold myself back. "So... what ya sayin' is to forget about Ponyboy if I'm with you? You just really don't give a damn what happens to Ponyboy, is that right?"

"Soda..." He's staring at me like I just called him trash or something. "C'mon Soda, ya know I don't mean it like that. Alright, look, how about this then? After work, I'll walk home with ya and see how the kid's acting. If he's all loony or whatever, then ya can babble all ya want about 'im. If he's the same as always, enough."

"No."

He blinked. "Huh?"

That's not going to work. "No, not tonight." I need some more time with Ponyboy alone, just to make sure of things. "Sunday, our day off."

"Wait a minute..." Steve frowned, holding a hand up. "Wait... yer sayin' that you want me and you and him to spend all day Sunday together, just to see if he's actin' weird?"

"Right. We'll do stuff that needs us to like, talk and that."

"What! No, c'mon! Why can't I just come over tonight? Since it's not a school night and all, he'll be able to stay up later and do stuff."

Damn it, he's just ain't getting it at all! "Steve! Think about it! Do ya really think Ponyboy wants to go out at night now? No!"

I'm really starting to wonder what Steve's thinking now. It's almost as if he... hates being near Ponyboy or something. Is it really too much to ask to spend a day with my little brother to see if he's alright? He's acting like I told him to go on vacation with him to China for a few months!

Neither of us said anything for a moment. Looking up at him, I noticed that he was swallowing. He looked at me... opened his mouth...

Damn that car outside!

"Umm, I'll get it." And with that, he quickly ran outside to pump gas for the customer.

We're not getting anywhere with this.

Sighing, I leaned back onto the stool, head bent down again. I could see my hair flopping forward in my face. Maybe I should get it cut? Or just shave it. But then the girls won't come visit me while I'm working. Damn this hair.

Looking around the nearly empty garage, I picked up a couple soda pop and beer cans off the floor just for the sake of something to do. Knowing Steve, he'll probably try to drag out his work outside just to avoid me.

Though the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I should just lay off. Or just leave Steve out of this. I know he would like that idea, from the way he's acting, but I really need someone else's opinion since I don't know if its just me going loony.

Maybe being loony is a Curtis thing? Darry's always been a bit weird and Pony's so different from everybody else... then I must be a nutcase. Great, at least I don't have to make up excuses for my weirdness, as Pony likes to call it.

Going back to my first thought, what was Pony thinking when Johnny and Dally died? He was the one with both of them and the only one to make it out alive. There must be something going on in his head about it. I mean, it bothers me everyday whenever I'm not busy with something else.

When Steve finally came back, I was back in my place on the stool. Looking over, I watched as he slowly walked towards his own stool. Sitting down, he stared at the ground, not saying nothing.

"Steve?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm gonna talk to Pony tonight... and you don't hafta come if ya don't wanna." Yeah, this is a good idea. Research, then involve other people. Isn't this what they taught us at school? Well, I wouldn't really remember after not being there for so long, but still..

My buddy looked at me, not blinking. How does he do that? "Are ya sure?"

"Hmph, I can talk to my brother perfectly well." I mean, c'mon, Pony and I are like, best friends, aside from Steve and the others of course.

"Ya know that's not what I meant." I did know, but I just had to keep picking at him. A bad habit, I know. Probably what starts a bunch of our fights, but we always make up the next day, so I never really think about it.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just gonna talk to him like I usually do. See what he says and stuff."

"All right."

_**Friday evening- 8:13 PM**_

"I'm home!" I made sure to yell as loudly as possible, letting the screen door slam behind me. I knew Darry was glaring at me from his chair without even looking at him. I swear that guy is way too predictable anymore... is that the right word? Pony used it before, saying that Dar does stuff in a 'routine-like fashion'... whatever that meant.

I swear that kid has too much time to read to be talking stuff like that... though I suppose its a good thing, huh?

"So, since you're home and all... are you gonna walk in any further or are you going to sleep standing in front of the door?" His deep voice cut into my thoughts, making me jump.

"Gheez, Dar, ya don't gotta get all worked up about it." Hooking onto the backs of my sneakers, I slid them off, dropping them somewhere near the door. Taking off the jacket, I placed that on the arm of the couch.

"Well, maybe ya stop leaving yer junk all over the place, I wouldn't get 'worked up' about anything ya do."

This guy... "Yeah, yeah, like I haven't heard that before." Waving my hand as in to shoo him away, I watched as he snorted, shaking the paper back into reading position. "Hey, before ya start obsessing over the president and stuff," Here he snorted again, but I think it was to cover up a chuckle. "Where's Pony?"

"You should know the routine by now... in your room."

Routine... so Pony follows a routine as well? "Just checking, gheez." Picking up my jacket, I made sure to drape it over Darry's head, only to annoy him of course. Making a quick wave, I walked through the kitchen, into the hall and came to our... closed door.

Why is it closed? Is Pony doing something... secretive? Could he be doing something... naughty?

Placing a hand over my mouth, only to be sure I wouldn't make any sudden noise and end up embarrassing the hell outta Pony, I put my other hand on the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it down, hearing the click. Cautiously, I slid the door open, leaving enough space open for my head to slide through. Squinting in the surprisingly dark room, I leaned in a little further to see the bed, only to discover that he was...

... sleeping. At this hour.

YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

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And we're ending it here! Oh my God! Another crappy ending to these ridiculous chapters! What the hell is my problem? Perhaps I just like to... ANNOY ALL OF YOU! HAHAHAHAHA!

Please read and review and maybe I'll update faster. _wink, wink, nudge, nudge_


	8. Diner Blues

Mwhaha, thank you for all of your kind reviews! I feel the impatience burning off of you guys... INTO MY FACE! AHH, IT BURNS!

I'd like to thank JessH89 (whatever that means) for finally making me get off my butt and to start writing for a bit again! So thank you Jess!

Now, last time, Soda encountered... a sleeping Pony! Again! But not anymore! Soda will finally take action on his day off! What will he do? Read and find out!

And I apologize for a mistake I made. I said the day was Friday but Steve and Soda were discussing plans for Sunday, not Saturday (the next day)! Just so you know, they meant Saturday... which is the day for this chapter!

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I was standing on a path but ahead of me was absolute and utter darkness.

Next to me was Ponyboy, but he was completely silent.

Suddenly, he ran forward, quickly disappearing out of sight.

I called his name, but nothing came out.

It was like I lost my voice.

_**Saturday morning- 8:59 AM**_

Squeezing my eyes closed tightly, I draped an arm over my face to block out that annoying sun. Stupid sun. Why does it bothers us so early in the morning. Especially on my day off...

Opening my eyes, I quickly flopped over to look at my bedmate. See that he was still sleeping, I sighed with relief. Now was the time to capture him into my grasp and never letting him go all day!

First... I might as well wait until he wakes up on his own... with some help.

Sliding an arm underneath his own, I tapped against his sides, a well-known weak point. His body twitched and I could also see his face scrunching up. Again, I lightly pressed my fingertips along his side, below his ribs or whatever those bones were.

He made some kind of weird noise and was trying to push my hand away.

But I will not be defeated so easily.

Slowly, I sat up, crawling over top my brother's body. Sitting down so I both straddled and held him down, I placed a hand on each side, torturing him oh so painfully.

He gasped, eyes wide-open and staring into my own. Clamping his mouth shut and grabbing onto my hands, Pony started wiggling his body around like crazy. I saw him taking a deep breath, pausing... then throwing himself against me.

Of course, me having no sense of steady-ness... or balance, Darry calls it, I immediately fell over, off the bed with Pony on top. Groaning when my head hit the ground, I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, then reopened them only to find myself staring at a mischievous-looking grin.

Gulping, I chuckled. "H-Hey Pony, c'mon, I was just teasing ya."

Suddenly, his hands felt like they were all over my sides and stomach at once. Gasping, I put up quite a struggle, trying to hold in my laughter because if I were to let it out, then that would mean ultimate defeat.

And I won't lose.

Grabbing his hands by the wrists, I yanked him to the side, causing him to slide off of me. Using this as my chance, I flew back on top of him, doing a hand battle with that beloved younger brother of mine.

Mwhahahaha, I will win this.

That is, if somebody didn't just tackle me from behind, causing me to fall off of Pony and on to scraggy carpeted floor. My breath was caught in my throat as I felt the pressure laying on me getting heavier by the second. Opening my eyes, I saw an impressively long sideburn... and then a snotty smirk close by.

"Two-Bit... you ass..." I mumbled, sucking in some air as he picked him up off of my poor, fragile body.

"Haha, ya better watch that filthy mouth of yer's Curtis. The only sane one left might catch on to yer naughtiness." He said, chuckling, waggling a finger in my face. God, how I wanted to shave off of those sideburns and stomp on the hairs.

"Like ya should be talkin' 'bout my mouth when nobody gots a dirtier mouth than you except fer Dal' and them Shepard kids." I shot back, looking around the room for Ponyboy, who just seemed to magically disappear... or just walked out of the room.

"Hahaha, I can tell yer just jealous of me."

Groaning, I shoved my hands against his chest, forcing him off of me. "What are ya doin' here anyways?"

"Superman told me to baby-sit you Curtis brats." He explained, shrugging his shoulders.

I waited for the punch line.

He stared back at me, creating a shocked look. "What! Ya don't believe me? How could ya do that to one of yer bestest friends, huh!"

"Maybe that's what Darry said... but not what he meant, hmm?" I smirked, giving him a sly look... well, Pony said I 'had a 'sly' look about me when I was making an intelligent remark'... or something like that. Pony's too smart for me to handle.

"Hardy har har... I ain't puttin' up this kind of talk from you. Just wait 'til Daddy hears 'bout this. Yer gonna get a spankin'."

"I'm sure. Now, if ya don't mind, and I'm sure ya really don't, I need to get ready fer today." Standing up, I walked to the... rather messy closet.

"What, a date without me? Oh, I see how it is. Yer just tryin' to get of rid me, right? Well, guess what?"

I sighed. "What?"

"I'll go out on my own date, so hah!" Crossing his arms, he looked away. After a moment, Two-bit took a step forward. "So who's the girl?"

Pulling a slightly wrinkled shirt, inspecting it, I turned to make a glare. "Hmph, if ya must know, Pony and I are hangin' out together today."

Two-Bit put up a blank stare. "Really? 'Cause it looked like he had other plans, the way he was escapin' the room."

"Well, if SOMEONE didn't attack me from behind, we would be sittin' here and discussing it." Giving the guy on the floor an irritated look, I turned back around to hunt for a clean pair of jeans. I'm sure I have a pair in here somewhere...

I heard him shifting around and standing up when I turned to look at him again. He had an annoyed look. "What are ya bein' so pissy 'bout? Golly, I walk in here and ya start yappin' at me like one of those stupid poodle dog things."

I didn't say anything, but I did feel a bit guilty. He must think I'm acting really strange and Steve's the only one who knows what I'm doin' today. "I... I'm sorry. Its just that... I think there's something up with Pony lately." Glancing at the door, I lowered my voice, causing Two-Bit to lean closer. "And I just... want to spend some time with him to make sure he's okay."

He stared at me suspiciously, then cracked a grin. "Probably a girl or something. Hell, who knows how many kids he's got now with that face!" Laughing hysterically, he walked out of the room, slamming the door loudly just to get on my nerves.

I stared at the closed structure. "I wish I could say the same thing..."

_**Saturday morning- 10:23 AM**_

Somehow, and don't ask how because it was hard, I managed to drag Pony out of the house with me. Of course, he never said anything but stared at me like I was a loony the whole time.

Whatever. I have him in my clutches now, so there's no escape.

Chuckling madly and receiving some stares for something other than my looks, I stared at the diner menu in front of me. If you want to know, the first thing on my Super-Duper-List-of-Things-to-Do-with-Ponyboy-Today was to eat breakfast at a local diner.

Why? Because diners are cool and they make good food just the way I request it, haha.

Peeking over the edge of my paper menu, I took a good stare at my dining partner. He was reading through his own menu, with a, if I'm not mistaken, bored look.

Boredom equals bad. Pony cannot be bored. Because when he's bored... he daydreams, which results in him... not talking.

Coughing lightly, I placed the menu down on the table, I gave him one of my specially-reserved smiles for him, hoping to get some sort of reaction.

He just stared at me, blinking.

All right, new tactic. Clearing my throat, though I don't know why I do that considering I really never do clear my throat, I placed my chin against my propped up left hand. "Pony, whatcha gonna get?"

He kept staring, though less blinking.

"Hiya, what can I get you pretty boys today?"

Looking up at out intruder, I noticed that she was a quite a cute girl, complete with blond pigtails and small glasses. She wore the diner uniform, yet was wearing hot pants (shorts, for those who don't know) to show off her nicely toned legs.

Bitch.

She kept smiling at me and of course, I flashed her grin out of habit. Then, she blinked, finally taking notice of my beloved brother.

"Oh, Ponyboy, good to see you again. I take it yer havin' yer usual, right?"

He nodded, as if everything around was fine.

"Okay, a burger with fries and a glass of chocolate milk, right?"

He nodded again, smiling at me as if he just won some sort of contest.

Which he did, in a weird way. Well, I wasn't too thrilled with the discovery that Pony was, in fact, a regular at this diner. Curse it...

"And for you, sir?" She was grinning at me again, which, for once, was just plain annoying me.

"Same as him, thanks." I forced another smile, though I was obviously irritated. My creativity for food was gone, down the drain, far away.

"Okay, yer orders will be out in a bit so sit tight." She finally turned around to walk back to the kitchen or wherever servers go, I wouldn't know.

Sighing, I glanced up to look across the table, only to find Pony... gone. Great, he keeps disappearing on me.

Maybe I should find out how he does that so I can escape from the boss-jerk at work. Heh heh, he would walk outside the station, demanding that another car to be fixed, only to find me... gone!

But then that would leave Steve with all the work. Ahh, I'll just teach him the trick too.

Shifting in my seat, I turned my head around to look for that brother of mine. And there he is, in front of the jukebox. I wonder what he's going to pick...?

When he sat down, I gave him a questioning look but he only shook his head and smiled. Sticking my tongue out at him, I leaned back to wait for the music to come on.

I didn't recognize it at first, but then quickly realized it was an Elvis hit. Looking over at him, he had his eyes closed, head slightly swaying to the beat. Grinning, I did the same.

Of course, by the time the song ended, the food arrived. I must be having bad luck today or something. Another thing that must be noted is that Pony doesn't like to talk during mealtime.

I suppose it came from arguing with Darry so much at dinnertime, so he must've decided to just clam up while eating.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

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END! OMG, I'm seriously dragging this out so badly, huh? Don't kill me! Yes, it is still a light-hearted kind of flow right now, but wouldn't you rather read something that was carefully dragged out to its fullest potential... if I even have any potential, that is... oh well, hope you enjoyed and please review. They inspire me greatly. 


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